Healthcare Predictions For 2019

Every year, Forbes makes healthcare predictions for the upcoming year. These global predictions align with some of the biggest trends in the industry. To see how they stack up against what we’re seeing, we thought we’d dive into a few and evaluate them with the help of Vera CEO, Ryan Schmid. Here’s what we found.

Prediction: 15% of global healthcare spending will be tied to value-based models

“VBC initiatives will continue to transition from economic model/cost effectiveness measures to more health outcomes and treatment focus — by means of data-driven risk sharing frameworks and sustainable reimbursement model that benefits both providers and payers.” 'Top 8 Healthcare Predictions for 2019,' Forbes

Value-based models have already had a big impact on the healthcare industry. Traditional healthcare’s ever-rising costs and failure to improve outcomes has driven carriers and payers to demand creative solutions and better value-based care.

The Definitive Guide to Evaluating On-Site Clinics

All is not well in healthcare today. The American medical sector dwarfs most other sectors of the economy. Hundreds of million of dollars are spent on research. Little progress is made. Costs continue to rise, and Americans are sicker than ever before. Where does this leave employers?

Schmid also notes, “There’s more and more data dispelling the myths around consumerism and what high-deductible plans will result in. We’ll see more high-value plans designed around making sure members can afford to pay for the services they need.”

“There is no denial that health insurance policies available today are aged and often fail to meet the personalized needs of individuals,” says Forbes. They predict, “5-10% of health insurance plans will be linked to lifestyle and health data-driven interactive policies in some form by the end of 2019.”

Payer and provider solutions, like the recent merger between CVS Health and Aetna, are a perfect example of the types of innovative solutions Forbes predicts. As Schmid says, “Whether it’s through one entity or partnerships, combining the payer and provider is really about bringing data and delivery together, and it makes a lot of sense.”